The Northman
Robert Eggers’ latest film The Northman sees the director’s take on a viking epic; written by Eggers and Icelandic poet Sjón, and inspired by the legend of Amleth (which in turn borrowed elements from Shakespeare’s Hamlet). Armed to the teeth with Eggers’ trademark style, the film is a grisly tale of revenge and intertwining fates – with plenty of gratuitous gore and nerve-wracking moments.
When Amleth (Alexander Skarsgård) witnesses his father King Aurvandill’s (Ethan Hawke) death at the hands of his traitorous uncle Fjölnir (Claes Bang), he vows to avenge his father’s death, save his mother (Nicole Kidman), and kill his uncle. It is this vow to himself that he repeats as he escapes from the throes of his uncle and the danger he poses to him. Growing up years later as a berserker, he is reminded of this vow from the vision of a Seeress (Björk), causing the haunted Amleth to disguise himself as a slave and plot his revenge with the help of a captured Slav, Olga (Anya Taylor-Joy).
Skarsgård’s hulking Amleth is a sight to behold; with the actor captivating the audience in every scene, and playing the troubled prince with such a harshness and hatefulness, that can be felt throughout the film. Taylor-Joy’s Olga in comparison, is quite the opposite – the graceful, stoic sorceress who is the yin to his yang. Supporting actors Claes Bang, Nicole Kidman and Ethan Hawke are as brilliant as ever, and round out the strong leads along with the legendarg Willem Dafoe, who makes a memorable appearance, albeit a short one, as Heimir – King Aurvandill’s close friend and seer.
The film wouldn’t be a viking film without plenty of brutality and gore – and The Northman does not shy away from this. Featuring action scenes that border on outrageous at the best of times, the audience can’t help but groan out loud during some choice raiding and fight scenes. The film balances itself out with its fair share of gut-wrenching moments (quite literally for some characters); throwing in some twists that’ll keep you on your feet until the very end.
Incredible scenery, beautiful framing and an insane, ethereal soundtrack are the cherry on top for the film – as the director has played to his strong suits here. Moody, emotional and at times just plain absurd, The Northman has everything you’d hope for in a Robert Eggers film. Despite its handful of strange and uneasy moments, it sure is one of the most entertaining films we’ve seen in a long time. The Northman is in cinemas now – so book your tickets now and avoid renorse.